Women's Rugby | 9/13/2025 7:14:00 PM
It was a cloudy but lively Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field, where the York University Lions women's rugby team hosted the Waterloo Warriors in a pivotal matchup.
Waterloo entered the contest looking to build momentum after a win last weekend, sitting at 1-1 and hoping to spark a winning streak. York, meanwhile, came in still searching for their first victory of the season. The last meeting between the two teams came in the 2024 season opener — Spencer Robinson's OUA head coaching debut — when Waterloo prevailed 50-10. This time, however, the Lions were eager to flip the script.
With a tough schedule ahead that includes road trips to Toronto and Brock and a Senior Night matchup with Trent, Saturday's tilt against Waterloo was a crucial opportunity for York to claim a winnable contest and keep their postseason hopes alive.
The Lions wasted little time getting on the board, as York's Jahlesha Roye powered ahead for five yards in the opening minute, setting the tone for an early push. Just 3:30 into the match, York broke through for the opening try to take a 5-0 lead thanks to Sami Kenny, though the conversion from Abbey Spiteri was unsuccessful.
The Warriors responded midway through the first half, tying the game 5-5 after a determined try from Anna Shellhammer in the 26th minute. Only five minutes later, Waterloo's Olivia Larsen went untouched for a 10-yard run into the end zone for the go-ahead try, with Alison Cunningham adding a successful conversion to seize a 12-5 advantage.
York showed some resilience before halftime to get back in it. With just 25 seconds remaining, Roye surged 25 yards into the end zone. The kick from Spiteri was no good, but the Lions entered halftime trailing narrowly, 12-10.
The second half saw Waterloo briefly regain control, pulling ahead 19-10 at the 53rd minute on Larsen's second try of the day in the 53rd minute, converted by Cunningham, making it 19-10. The Warriors extended their lead at the hour mark on a score from Heavlyn Sekyere. Cunningham's convert was good to make it 26-10 in favour of the visitors, seemingly pulling away.
But York wasn't finished. The Lions roared back with tries at the 64th and 68th minutes, from Mistura Are and Lucy Boronka, closing the gap to 26-20. With just over three minutes left, Baronka scored again to make it 26-25 Warriors. Spiteri, who had not made a convert all day, then stepped up and drilled the conversion, pushing ahead 27-26.
From there, the Lions' defense held firm, fending off Waterloo's late pushes to secure a dramatic one-point victory — their first win of the season.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Fresh off their first win, the Lions now turn their attention to their city rivals, the Toronto Varsity Blues. The Lions will make the quick trip downtown to battle the Blues next Saturday at 7:30 pm.
